Previews

MLB 2006: The Show

The new modes this year are all about grudges and head-to-head action. The Rivalry mode lets you set up a long-term feud between two teams and keeps stats and records for the duration. For fans of teams with known enemies, it should be a kick. Go with faves like the Red Sox versus the Yankees, the Giants versus the Dodgers, or set up cross-town match-ups like the White Sox versus the Cubs. Fans of less venerable teams may have a tougher time getting into the mode. I'm not sure how many folks are going to want to play a ton of games in a row between the Devil Rays and, say, the Padres.
More accessible should be the King of the Diamond mode. It's your favorite pitcher and batter against your buddy's favorites (or those selected by the computer). Each at-bat lasts two minutes and your goal is to score as many runs as possible. Adding to the arcade feel is that the whole thing takes place in a stadium-slash-pinball machine -- plenty of lights, certain targets are bonus modifiers, etc. While it definitely is a break from the more sim-like play of the main game, what's nice is that neither the batting, nor the pitching is dumbed down. The mode is an excellent way to practice your skills. Unlike Home Run Derby modes found in most games -- and you have one here -- playing King of the Diamond won't mess with your swing or timing at the plate.

The other returning modes are the usual suspects of the genre. Play a quickie exhibition game, a full season, or be in the thing for the long haul and fire up the franchise mode.
While the preview build I played didn't have online capability, the series has always delivered a strong online experience. Expect that to continue. In addition to the regular games, tournaments, and roster updates, this year you'll also be able to fire up either of the two new modes -- Rivalry and King of the Diamond -- over your Network Adaptor.
With no major league game from EA Sports this year (the company is releasing an NCAA baseball game instead), Sony finds itself in a very unfamiliar position with its MLB 2006: The Show. It's still early -- heck, opening day is still almost four months away -- but with the competition this season coming solely from the folks at 2K Sports, Sony may end up as the team to beat in the video hardball game.